Valve means



March 30, '1943. L. WIEGAND VALVE MEANS Original Filed Dec. 7, 1939I'll! III II. w; I I I 4 Edwin. L.We5and.

LN'VLNTOR T K M M AT ORhLETS Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Divided and this application November 2, 1940, Serial No. 36 30736 Claims.

My invention relates to valve means, and is particularly adapted for usein connection with the handling of materials of a divided nature, or inthe handling of materials under high pressure, or both. The principalobject of the invention is the improvement of valve means of thesetypes. This application is a division of my application Serial Number308,002, filed December '7, 1939.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part ofthis application, there is shown, for purposes of illustration, oneembodiment of my invention, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view, partly fragmentary, ofapparatus embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of Figure 1,and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 ofFigure 2.

Figure 1 shows a lower tank It which in this embodiment is designed towithstand very high fluid pressure, for example, compressed air at apressure of the order of 500 to 1500 pounds per square inch or more.Admission of compressed air may be through openings II. Figure 1 alsoshows an upper tank I2, fragmentarily, and this tank is similar to thelower tank I0. Interposed between the tanks I0, I2, is valve means I3comprising a connecting tube l4, flanges I5, I6, having threadedapertures being screwed onto the threaded ends of the tube I4, and theflanges I5, I6 being fastened by bolts IT to flanges I8, I9 respectivelyprovided on the tanks l0, I2. Gaskets may be interposed between theflanges I5, I3, and the flanges I8, I9.

A bushing 2I constituting a valve-seat block is fitted into the lowerend of the tube I4, and desirably is welded to the tube, as shown at 22(Figure 2). The bushing 2I is here shown as extending partially into theupper open end of the lower tank I0. The lower end of the bore of thebushing 2| is margined by a bevel surface 23 which may be approximatelyfrustro-conical and may be slightly arcuately dished as shown.

Extending transversely from the tube I4 is a bearing supporting meanscomprising a bearing tube 24, a web 25 reinforcing the connectionbetween the bearing tube 24 and the tube I4, the web being suitablyfastened to these tubes. J ournaled within the bearing tube 24 is avalve op erating shaft 26 having a squared outer end 21 for receivingone end of a valve lever 28. The bearing tube 24 is desirably welded tothe tube I4 where it passes through an aperture 29 in the tube l4. Thebearing tube 24 extends a slight distance within the tube I4, and theoperating shaft 26 at this point is reduced in diameter and has asquared end 30 to fit into a square opening formed in a crank 3|, 9. setscrew 32 holding the crank 3| to the shaft The crank 3I carries anoff-center pin 33 fitting through a slot 34 formed in a flattenedportion 35 of a rod 36, the pin 33 having a headed portion 31 holdingthe rod 36 assembled on the pin 33. The rod 36 also has a portion 38round in cross-section and slightly bent, as best shown in Figure 3, andthe lower end of the rod 36 is formed with a conical enlarged portion39, and with a reduced extremity 40 (Figure 2) forming a shoulder withthe'conical portion 39. A frustro-conical block 4i having a centralaperture, is fitted on the reduced extremity 40, and a resilient valvemember 42, preferably formed of rubber and having generallyfrustro-conical opposite surfaces 43, 44, is fitted over the reducedextremity 40. The block M is of a size which will fit freely within thebore of the bushing 2|. An inverted cup-shaped disk 45 is positioned tohold the valve member 42 in position, a nut 46 being screw-threaded onthe end of the reduced extremity 40 to hold the disk 45, the valvemember 42, and the block M, in position on the valve rod 36, the nut 46preferably being welded to the disk 45 as shown in Figure 2. Thecup-shaped disk 45 has an approximately frustro-conical surface 4Iengaging the surface 44 of the valve member 42. The parts 4 I, 42, and45 are herein collectively termed the valve body V.

The valve body is shown in closed position in the figures, the surface41 of the cup-shaped disk pressing against the surface 44 of the valvemember 42 thereby in turn pressing the surface 43 against the valve seat23. Sufiicient rotation of the shaft 26 in a direction to causecounter-clockwise movement of the crank 3I, with reference to itsposition shown in Figure 3, will cause unseating of the valve member 42from the valve seat 23. The slot 34 permits the pin 33 to give a hammerblow to the lower end of the slot in opening the valve.

The slot 34 also permits the valve member to be pressed more firmlyagainst the seat 23 by fiuid pressure within the tank I0. Accordingly,it will be evident that a large force is not required on the rod 36 tocause the valve member 42 to be pressed against the valve seat 23sufiiciently to hold a high pressure in the tank I0, the pressure in thetank I0 taking the place of such force. Furthermore, the construction ofthe valve body V is such that it will hold high-pressures.

The bore of the bearing tube 24 may be enlarged so as to accommodatebetween it and the shaft 26 a tubular gland 48 which may be forcedagainst packing 49 by a gland nut 50 threaded on the outer end of thebearing tube 24. The enlarged part of the bore of the tube 24 extends tonear the inner end of the tube so that the packing 49 effectivelyprevents grit from getting between the journal surface of the shaft 26and the cooperating bearing surface of the gland 48.

The embodiment herein illustrated is particularly adapted for use in asystem for grinding materials, the materials being subjected to theaction of air under pressure to move them at high velocity an cause themto be ground by impact. It will however be apparent that the presentinvention is not limited to such use. In the embodiment illustrated thematerial to be ground is first introduced into the tank H in anysuitable way. Assuming that the system is in normal continuousoperation, the valve body V is in closed position and there is highpressure within the tank l whereby material already in the tank I0 isforced out of the opening at the bottom of the tank I0 and to thegrinding means. After introduction of material into the tank I 2, thepressure within the tank I2 is brought up to the pressure within thetank l0 and the valve lever 28 is moved to move the valve body V to openposition, whereby the material in the tank I2 is dumped into the tankID. The valve lever 28 is then moved to move the valve body V to closedposition. Thereafter the pressure within the tank 12 may be relieved sothat it may receive another charge of material. The material to beground may contain more or less finely divided material or grit whichmight'enter between the journal surface of the shaft 26 and the bearingsurface surrounding it, were it not for the construction and arrangementhereinbefore described. Such entry might take place even underatmospheric pressure but the tendency to such entry is greatly increasedwhen the pressure within the tube 14 is high.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatthe illustrated embodiment of my invention provides a new and improvedvalve means, and accordingly, accomplishes the principal object of myinvention. On the other hand, it also will be obvious to those skilledin the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention may bevariously changed and modified, or features thereof, sin'gly'orcollectively, embodied in other combinations than that illustrated,without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing all ofthe advantages thereof, and that accordingly. the disclosure herein isillustrative only, and my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim: 1. In combination: housing means; valve operwithin saidcounterbore and surrounding said shaft to serve as a bearing surfacetherefor; packing between the inner end of said tubular member and saidshoulder; and means for forcing said tubular member against saidpacking.

2. In combination: housing means includin a tube; a valve seat coaxialwith said tube and carried by said tube at an end thereof; a valve bodycooperable with said valve seat; an operating shaft; elongated supportmeans carried by and extending through a wall of said tube, said supportmeans having an opening through which said operating shaft extends intosaid tube; said support means having a counterbore, larger than saidshaft, extending from the outer end of said support means to near itsinner end and leaving an internal shoulder near said inner end; anelongated tubular member disposed within said counterbore andsurrounding said shaft to serve as the sole bearing surface therefor;packing between the inner end of said tubular member and said shoulder;means for forcing said tubular member against said packing; an meanswithin said tube, connecting said shaft and said valve body, soconstructed and arranged that by rotation of said shaft said valve bodymay be caused to move toward or away from said valve seat.

3. In combination: housing means; valve operating means disposed in saidhousing means; elongated support means carried by said housing means andextendin through a wall of said housing means; an operating shaft, forsaid valve operating means, extending through said support means intosaid housing means and havin a free inner end spaced from the insidewall of said housing; sai support means having a counterbore, largerthan said shaft, extending from the outer end of said support means tonear its inner end and leaving an internal shoulder near said inner end;an elongated tubular member disposed within said counterbore andsurrounding said shaft'to serve as a bearing surface thereforapproximately coextensive with said counterbore leaving a space betweenthe inner end of said tubular member and said shoulder which is smallrelatively to the axial length of said bearing surface; packing in saidspace; and means for forcing said tubular member against said packing.

4. In combination: a pressure tank adapted to receive fluid underpressure; said tank having an inlet through which material may beintroduced; a valve for controlling said inlet, said valve in-- cludinga valve body cooperable with a valve seat; valve actuating means,including an operating member having a lost motion connection with saidvalve body, so constructed and arranged that when said operating memberhas moved said valve body against said seat said lost motion connectionis adapted to permit fluid under pressure in said tank to force saidvalve body against said seat and when said operating member is movedtoward valve-opening position said member is adapted to take up lostmotion in said connection to unseat said valve body with a hammer blow.

5. In combination: a pressure tank adapted to receive fluid underpressure; said tank having an inlet through which material may beintroduced; a valve for controlling said inlet, said valve including avalve body cooperable with a valve seat; valve actuatin means, includinga crank having a lost motion connection with said valve body, soconstructed and arranged that when said crank has moved to a positiongenerally cross-wise of the axis of said valve seat to move said valvebody upwardly against said seat said lost motion convalve seat; anoperating shaft; support means 10 carried by and extending through awall of said tube, said support means having an opening, at its endwithin said tube, through which said operating shaft fits rotatably andextends into mid tube; and means within said tube, including lost 15motion connecting means between said shaft. and said valve body, soconstructed and arranged that by rotation of said shaft said valve bodymay be caused to move toward or away from said valve seat: said lostmotion connecting means comprising a crank and means for fastening saidcrank to said shaft, a pin on said crank, a connecting rod connectingsaid valve body and said pin, said connecting rod having alongitudinally extending slot in which said pin is disposed, and meansfor maintaining said connecting rod in operative relation to said pin inall operative positions of said crank.

EDWIN L. WIEGAND.

